gifting is a great idea

It seems I always have at least one air rifle kicking around that I bought on a whim or just don't like anymore.
If a friend asks to try an airgun to see if they like the hobby I'll gift them one of these (the lastest was the Chinese B9 bullpup with Tasco red-dot that hasn't been used in over a year).
My experiences loaning gear has been less than satisfactory.
Loaned a friend my Slavia a few years back...he was 'really sorry' that he'd somehow knocked off the front sight.
A few years back I loaned someone a $2500 lens (I'm a photographer). He didn't even mention (it was his assistant that told me afterwords) that he'd dropped it off of a stepladder. Dropped it onto grass so there were no visible marks...but the focus needed to be recalibrated.
A friend of mine once said...don't lend anything (money included) unless you are prepared to let it be a gift if need be.